


Crimson

by Clamdiver



Category: Homestuck, Zero: Akai Chou | Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Genre: Betrayal, Crossover, Dubious Consent, Horror, M/M, Mentions of asphyxiation, Mentions of mutilation, Minor Character Death, Minor asphyxiation, Possessive Behavior, Religious Rituals, Romanticism, Sibling Incest, Twincest, Unreliable Narrator, mentions of strangulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:29:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clamdiver/pseuds/Clamdiver
Summary: This was the only way to keep them together forever, surely. Jake won't allow for petty distractions to get in the way of his and John's union.
Relationships: Jake English/Dirk Strider, John Egbert/Dave Strider, John Egbert/Jake English, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Crimson

**Author's Note:**

> just some quick notes so people unfamiliar with Fatal Frame || (i.e. everyone LOL) 
> 
> The Crimson Sacrifice: Ritual consisting of a set of twins around age 15. The people of the village believed that twins were one soul split into two. Strangling one's twin was thought to 'unite' their souls and to make them become one. The energy unleashed during the ritual appeased the Hellish Abyss. 
> 
> Hellish Abyss: Giant hole deep under the village. Taboo to speak its name. Said to be the gateway to the underworld. Threatens to overflow and cause the Repentance if not appeased roughly every decade.
> 
> Kusabi: Any foreigner that under goes the Cutting ritual and is sacrificed to the Abyss. Must be alive when thrown into Abyss or ritual is a failure. Used to buy time before the Crimson Sacrifice.

The duty had fallen onto the both of you.

Jane had failed to complete her ritual with Jade, the girls unable to fully commit to the act before the priests tossed Jade into the awaiting Abyss. Alive. A sad, sloppy excuse for a Crimson Sacrifice.

The only other pair of twins that could complete the ritual were the sons of the village’s own head priest. Your father.

_His thin, white robe is pooled around his form like fallen snow, pretty, pale and pristine. You hold his trembling form to your heart._

You squeezed John’s hand at the grave news. John was terribly brave growing up, but after hearing this, you knew that his brave front was a facade. He was frightened. You found yourself less afraid and more concerned for John. You did your darnedest to comfort him.

Then quite suddenly, your father had allowed foreigners into your isolated village. 

For some time a certain travelling folklorist had been attempting to be let into your home in order to study your secretive customs. Letter after letter had been sent to your father and time and time again had the requests been rejected. You’ve heard father complain about it more than once.

_You kiss John as you lay him down. His mouth, nose and eyelids, all perfect mirrors of your own._

‘Why?’ You had thought to yourself. This wasn’t something that had ever happened before in all your life. It was not long before you discovered the truth. Your father was going against tradition in order to buy you and John some time. The only kindness he could offer you both as he too was trapped within his duty. 

John was terribly excited at the news, looking at you with bright eyes he had said “Did you hear that, Jake? Outsiders!” You were happy to see life within John’s face again since Jane and Jade’s failed ritual.

The folklorist had brought along his younger brother/apprentice with him. You had discovered one afternoon that the outsider’s names were Dirk and Dave.

Oh, those Strider brothers, how lovely they were! A right shame what happened to the elder. The folklorist had regaled you with tales about large bustling cities, ancient ruins waiting to be plundered and cultures long lost to history. Dirk had wanted to learn about so much and yet in the end it was his very curiosity and dedication that led to his downfall. Such a tempting specimen he was with his near auburn hair and fair lashes. You had spent some time counting the freckles on his nose and cheeks during your walks together.

You had managed to get that stubborn mouth to twitch upwards more than once. The sight had sent a bolt of liquid heat into your gut. A fleeting, petty sensation.

_John gasps underneath you, the poor thing. You certainly hope that you haven’t hurt him. You’ll despise yourself if you did._

If only the younger of the two, Dave, hadn’t gotten so _close_ to your John during the past few weeks. John would laugh at Dave's accent and odd manner of speaking, eyes crinkled in mirth. The two of them seemed to genuinely enjoy each others company. That boy had filled John’s head with nonsense about “escaping” the village and rebuilding new lives together, free from the ritual and the Abyss. Poor, poor fool. The mouth of the Abyss was a cloying, endless thing that cannot be escaped. None are allowed to speak its true name, but you all know of it. It’s existence, more truth than the skin on your flesh or the birds in the sky.

_“Ja...a-ah-” John nearly cries. Your hand puts a stop to any loud noises he may let loose, exquisite as they may be._

_“Shhhh, hush, hush now, lovely.” You whisper ”The guards mustn't hear us, mm?”_

If Dave had any good sense about him, he would have fled the village on his own once his brother was captured and sent to endure the Cutting Ritual. How that boy managed to sneak about the village undetected for so long is beyond your imagination. It had been somewhat...difficult not to let either of the Strider brother’s in the intent of your village. Really now, did they honestly expect your home to just let any curious folks wander in without expecting some sort of payment in return? There is never any peace without sacrifice, after all.

The more that Dirk had learned about your secretive village’s customs something should have tipped off the clever man that something was amiss. Why did he choose to stay as long as he did? At the very least he shouldn’t have dragged his precious younger brother here, apprenticeship or no.

_Your unoccupied hand reaches for one of the two that lay above John’s head. You slip your fingers between his. A perfect fit._

_You lean down in order to kiss the puckered skin between his brows._

_His other hand scraps at the tatami mat._

You imagine that Dirk was quite honored to be chosen to become the Kusabi. His life’s work was to bring all kinds of mythologies back to life and now he truly was immortalized within your village’s beliefs. A pity that the sacrifice only bought the village a small amount of time. Father must have been wee bit too zealous with his work, killing Dirk before throwing him into the awaiting Abyss. You still feel somewhat envious of your father that he was the one that decorated Dirk’s body with cuts. You would have liked to have kissed his lips once before tossing him down the Abyss. You briefly wonder what sound he would have made on the way down. A pretty sound from a pretty boy, no doubt.

_You hear yourself moan into John’s shoulder, breathing in his warm scent and sweat. You sigh his name. He shudders._

You do hope that John can forgive you in the next life. You’ll still love your brother even if he doesn’t.

The more John had excitedly chatted about leaving with Dave during your trio’s clandestine meetings, the more anxious you became. Your interest was undeniably piqued even before Dirk was caught. The urgency to leave was undeniable as the hour of your ritual grew nigh due to the failed Kusabi. Once you and John were forcibly separated to cleanse before the sacrifice, the both of you snuck out in order to meet Dave at the agreed spot. Not a terribly difficult task as you and John are aware of your father’s manor’s many secret passageways. It’s how the two of you had managed to have so many sleep over’s in each other’s bedroom’s. 

‘We’ll always be together, Jake.’ John had whispered to you as you two laid together one particularly humid night. You had sealed your promise with a kiss.

_John clenches down on you as_ _you piston your hips erratically. It’s heavenly. Warm and slick and all you ever could have dreamed. You could faint._

_You look down at him and see stars running down his cheeks. You catch each and every one with your mouth, cherish them._

Once the three of you met up near the very edge of the village, just before the thick woods that hid your village from the world. You three scurried your behinds into the woods without much delay. It had been a last ditch effort, the idea of the outside world no longer seemed as exciting once your true feelings unleashed themselves. You can also admit to yourself now that perhaps your escape attempt from your room hadn’t been _quite_ as cunning as you first thought. Oops, clumsy you. You had felt just terrible when you heard shouts rising up from behind the three of you. Dave shouted at the two of you to start running as fast as you could.

_John, John, oh darling John.._

To make things worse, you and your silly feet got caught onto a rather thick root that caused you to take quite the tumble mid sprint. You called out to John as you laid there with a possibly sprained ankle. It took you a second to call out since you were just so disoriented from the fall; John and Dave were already quite far ahead. Your stomach turned to ice when Dave tugged on John’s arm, trying to get him to follow. Your eyes surely shot knives at the lad, being such a selfish little thing that he was. Lost his own brother and now he wanted Jake's? 

_Mine, mine, mine..._

Dave’s urgency was not unfounded, however. The lights and shouts from the distance were gaining fast and John had no time to stand there humming and hawing over his decision to escape with Dave or to help you up. 

You couldn’t see the expression that John looked at Dave with before pulling away, you imagine that it was a hopeful smile. One that assured Dave to go on without you two, that John knew what he wanted to do. What a good brother!

John dashed over to you as fast as he could, hurrying you to your feet. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ he had insisted. Your arm slung over his shoulder, the two of you began to hobble forward together. 

The ensuing chaos had been a blur. Screams and torches glowing against the night sky were all that you recalled. 

In the end, both you and John had been caught and brought back to the manor. You didn’t even look at your father, not caring what expression he wore. You’ve been separated once again for isolated purification. The irony here was that there were no guards with you in your rooms as it was taboo for anyone to interrupt the purification process of either twin. The guards were posted outside of your doors and windows, instead.

That didn’t stop you from sneaking into John’s room one final time. He had been hugging himself, holding back sobs as he trembled. Probably still upset that Dave abandoned him, most likely. Poor dear. You make it your mission to let your brother know that you’re here for him, now and always. It’s just a shame that his first and last heartbreak was wasted on a boy like that. 

You now know that the brother’s were mere worldly distractions to what it is that matters to you. What truly matters to both you and John. A temptation meant to divert you two from your birthright. 

Nothing in this world matters at all. Not the ritual, not the village, not even the whole goddamn world could compare to the divinity of your love for one another. It hangs high in the stars and deeper than than the accursed Abyss itself. 

You’re both so close to the edge now, you don’t even know what you’re saying anymore as you roll him on top of you. He bites down on a scream into your shoulder as you fuck up into him. You take both of his hands and wrap them around your neck. You want to have a mark on your neck to match the one he will have.

Doesn’t he know? Can John not see that you’d do anything, absolutely _anything_ for him? You’ll follow through with the ritual, make sure that you two are together forever. To truly become one again, like you were before the womb and world separated you. He’ll lead your hands to wrap around his perfect neck and set him free in a way that only you, his other half can. You’ll help give him wings. Reborn as a crimson butterfly. 

John arches his back beautifully against the moonlight streaming into his room, you finish deep inside of him as his walls tighten around you.

You don’t really care if the two of you are discovered at this point. The idea of your father’s wrath is laughable. The village _needs_ you two in order to perform the Crimson Sacrifice or else you’ll all face the Repentance. The only salvation that you need is laying right here in your arms.

“I love you, John. I do. ” You sigh as you come down from your hormonal high. You rest his head onto your shoulder and rock him gently.

“We’ll be together from now on, always.”

John cries with joy into your neck.

_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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**Author's Note:**

> The fuck is wrong with me, this is the fastest shit i have ever written wtfffffffff 
> 
> No beta reader i just crapped this self indulgent thing out
> 
> thank you for reading<33


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